Holidays are expensive, even holidays that don’t involve gift-giving. As we approach Thanksgiving, I’m noticing how expensive it can be to host a large family gathering. A large turkey, even on sale, was almost thirty dollars, and that’s just the bird. There are other foods to prepare, plus getting my house ready—it’s a little overwhelming.
As I’ve looked over my preparations, I’ve come up with some ideas for how to keep the expense under control. Hopefully, these tips can be of use to you, too.
1. Pay attention to which grocery stores are offering free turkeys when you purchase a certain number of groceries. My local store will provide a bird when you buy $100 of other products. Hello—who can’t do that? I regularly spend $100 at the store. It’s a walk in the park, and a free turkey to boot.
2. Assign out foods for your guests to bring. Some Thanksgiving hostesses feel they have to do it all, and tell their guests just to bring their appetites. That’s really generous, but doesn’t make a lot of sense from a financial standpoint, or from a labor standpoint. You don’t really want to be all worn out at the end of the day, do you? Wouldn’t you rather enjoy the day and your interactions with your family? Even something as simple as having someone else bring the rolls and salads can take a lot of pressure off you.
3. Make it simple. Yes, we want clean houses, but we don’t have to go through all the expense that can entail. Rent a carpet cleaner for $25 instead of bringing in a carpet-cleaning company for hundreds of dollars. We don’t have to get our drapes dry-cleaned—you can toss them in the dryer and they’ll come out crisp and dust-free (unless the manufacturer said not to do that). You can find a ton of ways to cut the costs in preparing your home.
4. Borrow items you may need. Don’t have a turkey platter? Need some chairs? Want some cloth napkins? Rather than purchasing these items, talk to friends and neighbors. They may have what you need and will be willing to lend. That will take off a huge financial burden—not to mention storage space, because you can just give it back when you’re done with it.
There are definitely ways to make your holidays less expensive and less stressful—and the great thing is, these tips can be applied to practically any holiday. So keep it simple, save some money, and enjoy your holiday!
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It’s the Final Countdown … to Thanksgiving